Dr. Aslihan Spaulding, professor of agribusiness and food industry management, joined the Department of Economics as the interim chairperson on July 1, 2022.
Spaulding received a Ph.D. in agricultural economics, a master’s in economics, and a master’s in agricultural economics from the University of Kentucky and a bachelor’s in economics from Bogazici University in Turkey. She joined Illinois State University in 2003 and has served many roles in the Department of Agriculture, including as the graduate program coordinator and the study abroad coordinator. Most recently, she was elected to serve on the board of directors of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
In 2019, Spaulding received the Living Our Values Award for her extraordinary work that exemplifies Illinois State’s core values of learning and scholarship, diversity and inclusion, respect, collaboration, individualized attention, civic engagement, and integrity. Her passion for student success has exposed students to many career opportunities in the food and agribusiness industry. In addition, her work has elevated ISU’s chapter of the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) onto the national stage. The student organization won the Outstanding Student Chapter award six times under her guidance.
Spaulding has a strong research portfolio that includes numerous refereed publications with students. Her research interests include survey methodology, farmer and consumer behavior, and strategic agribusiness sales management. In 2021, her expertise in survey methodology contributed to a nationa …